Solid action but still includes traditional MK downfalls.

User Rating: 7 | Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks XBOX
By thesineater | Review Date:
My interest in the Mortal Kombat series dropped off since MK III but its good to see them head in a better direction even if they can't steer straight. A lot of what I have to say agrees with the review in gamespot. This is definitely a solid action title. There are plenty of stylish looking combos you can pull off and the trip down mortal kombat 2 memory lane sweetens the pot. Where this game truly shines is Co-operative mode where you and buddy can have oodles of fun kickin' ass together. I personally did not play with a buddy but let me tell ya' ,the potential of this mode can be seen even in single player and there are times where it would have been nice to have a friend available for support. Its even clear that they tried to follow the epic greatness of God of War. Too bad for them the good stuff stops here.

I have come to expect MK programmers to not work all the bugs out in their games (hell, its like a insider trademark) and this one is no different. I got stuck in a rock, no sound efx, a bunch of character action slow down, stuck under a bridge, a black screen, a screen full A's and B's, and the inability to skip a cut-scene in just 2 and 1/2 hours of game play. (sigh) Strike 1.

The graphics and especially the character models are dated and low-res. With the xbox and ps2 far into their life cycle this is unacceptable. Strike 2.

The characters and difficulty are unbalance at times. Comboing is easy with Lui Kang but try Kung Lao and you'll find combos are fun with him too until someone starts throwing projectiles for example. And just like the Akklaim versions of MK series you sometimes have to be "cheap" to win or they be " cheap" with you. Strike 3.

The game,at times, is not always clear on where to go next. The map is of limited help ( for those that beg to differ). Oh well, no greatness for Ed Boon.

Pros: solid action, great co-op feature

Cons: unimpressive graphics, fun-dampening program bugs, slight lack of clarity, unbalanced characters and difficulty ( at times).

THE FINAL VERDICT: A solid action title that tries to follow the God of War formula and does a fairly decent job. It however, has some problems that keep it from being listed as a great game.


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